Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Duesweetfire.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Duesweetfirexe2x80x99.
The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop freely branching New Guinea Impatiens cultivars that flower early and have large flowers.
The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1996 of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number K-1, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 94-15-1, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Duesweetfire was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in 1997.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Rheinberg, Germany since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Duesweetfirexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Duesweetfirexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:
1. Compact, upright, rounded and uniform plant habit.
2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.
3. Red-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the leaves.
4. Dark green-colored leaves.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent, the selection K-1. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the New Impatiens differed from plants of the selection K-1 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the New Impatiens were more compact than plants of the selection K-1.
2. Plants of the New Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants of the selection K-1.
Plants of the New Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent, the selection 94-15-1. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the New Impatiens differed from plants of the selection 94-15-1 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the New Impatiens were more compact than plants of the selection 94-15 -1.
2. Plants of the New Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants of the selection 94-15-1.
Plants of the New Impatiens can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Lanai, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,397. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the New Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Lanai in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the New Impatiens were more compact than plants of the cultivar Lanai.
2. Plants of the New Impatiens had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Lanai.
3. Plants of the New Impatiens had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Lanai.
4. Plants of the New Impatiens had shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar Lanai.